Injections to treat black fungus out of stock

Manav Mander

Tribune News Service

Ludhiana, May 16

With sudden increase in the cases of black fungus (mucormycosis) in many parts of the country, there is acute shortage of key drugs used to treat it.

Not only patients from Punjab, but also from Delhi, Noida and Gurugram are running from pillar to post to procure the drugs. Injections such as liposomal amphotericin B, amphomul, abhope are used to treat this rare infection. Nearly 30 injections are required for a single patient.

“Suddenly, the demand has spiked and there is no stock left at present. Earlier, the demand for these drugs used to be minimal,” said GS Chawla, president, Ludhiana Chemist Association.

A few days ago, people from Delhi enquired about the drugs and their relatives sent those to them. “An injection that costs around Rs 7,000 is being sold for Rs 12,000-14,000 in Delhi due to which they were buying it from Punjab through their contacts, but now we are also left with no buffer stock,” said another wholesaler chemist from Pindi Street Market, Ludhiana.

As of today, no wholesaler, retailer or dealer in the district had these injections.

Aman Ahuja, president, Ludhiana Retail Chemists’ Association, said they had the injections till three days ago but now these were not available in other districts as well.

Raghav, a local whose relative was hospitalised in Noida, said he was looking for injections amphomul or abhope, but was unable to arrange.

“My relative has contracted black fungus infection and was prescribed this injection. They could not find it in Delhi and Noida and now it’s not available in Ludhiana also,” he said.

Kulwinder Singh, Zonal Licensing Authority, said they had informed the government about the shortage. “We have come to know that the stock has dried up with the manufacturing firms. The government will take a decision on regulating the supply,” he said.